Los Angeles daily herald., 1887-01-27

nursed her most assiduously, declining
professional attendance, but permitting
me to help her to the best of my ability.
But although was allowed to be in the
invalid's room all day il choose. Mrs.
Morrell wond not permit me to exhaust
my strength in night nursing. She had
had her bed placed in dressing.room
communicating with Edith's room, and
there she slept, ready at the slightest
movement of the invalid to spring up
and ait on her. Edith spoke wasmly
of Mrs. Morrell's kindness and devotion,
and certainly she spared no pains to
humor the fancies of the sick girl.
About Christmas the disea,e assumed
a new phase. Somptoms of stomach de-
rangement set in, which DIR. Stevens at.
tributed to, the long continued recum-
bent position and lack of exercise, and
set himself to combat the new evil by
every means in his power. This was all
discussed in my presence, for no my stery
was made of the matter, and, indeed, l
was usually accustomed to administer
Edith's food and medicines when l sat
in her room. This, however. never oe-
cured in the evening, for Mr.. Foster SO
pathetically pleaded his Loneliness in the
deserted drawing.room after dinner,
when his sister always went to the in.
valid, that in common civility I'could
not refuse to play chess and crlbbage
with him, and occasionally accompany
his violin on the piano.
But one night, about 9 o'clock, slip.
ped quietly out of the drawing room,
aud went up stairs to Edith's room to
see if she was awake. che had been
worse that day, and was beginning to
feel rather aoxious about her. For Il
wonder, Mrs. Morrell was not on duty,
and entered unchallenged. l had not
been into Edith's room SO late as this
since the beginning of her illness. and
was astonished to ind it was lighted up
by eight large wax candles. dispersed
about the apartment, although the glare
was carefully screened from the invalid's
face. I stopped over the thin face on
the pillow and received faint smile. l
could not help remarking: 'How light
your room is! wonder you can sleep
in such o blaze"
"Mrs. Morrell likes it," was the Ian
guild answer. ''She always burns eight
candles like that, all night. | don't
mind them. On, Alice, dear, I'm ALWAYS
so thirsty, so dreadfully thirsty. Do
give me ething to drink"
poured out tumblerul of a cooling
drink from u handsome red glass jug on
the table near me. She drank it eager
ly and sank back on her pillow as Mrs.
Morrell came into the room.
I f,nnioJ that IN angry Ulaan shot Mt
me from under the widows black eye
brows, but If so, she smoothed away her
irritation before she addressed me.
"Allce, my dear, it is most kind of you
to be here, but left my darling girl as
1 hoped, to sleep. She is more likely to
get good nights rest if she is not dis.
turbed by lats visitors. After 9 o'clock,
please, / must request you for lhe pres.
ent not to come here again"
Iapologized 1 and said goo l-night, turn
i.p, however, at the door to ask if Mrs.
Morrell did not think that so much
light might have disturbing effect on
the invalid.
"Now, my dear Miss Armitage, that
is not like your usual common-sense, ="
answered the widow, sweetly, "Above
all things, plenty of light is essential in
a sick room, where medicines have to be
accurately measured out, and where at
any moment the nurse may be sum.
moned to the patients side. l should
be tumbling over the furniture in the
dark if the candles were not kept burn
ing. And now, my dear girl, | must
really request that you SO; Filth is
nearly asleep. Good night" So ran
down stairs, to be gently scoided by Mr..
Foster for my long absence.
When a week went by and Ei'th
grew worse every day l becam seriously
alarmed, and expressed my uneasiness
in letter to DR.. Archer, which posted
ed myself for fear of accidents. he sent
me brief ate by trusty nesseng in
replywhich did not tend to allay my Iears.
"Your account of her symptoms was
most alarming. You say she is wasted
and prostrate, and suffers from painful
cramps and Unsuitable thirst. These are
the symptoms of arsenical poisoning.
You must contrive to secure portions OF
all her food and medicine and bottle
them securely and bring them to me.
Be in the ir plantation tomorrow at 4
o'clock to meet me; it is a matter of life
and death"
You may imagine how terrified l was;
but luckily had nerve enough to hide
it. looked out all the small bottles l
could find, washed them out carefully
aud determined to put them into my
pocket one at time, to fill as occasion
should serve. AT the same time l could
hardly believe that DR.. Archer was
right in his suspicious. / believed they
could not poison Edith without my
knowledge. | was in and out of the
sick room all day, from 10 o'clock in the
morning until l was dismissed at 5 to
dress for dinner, and at least half her
food and medicine | administered with
my own hands. The medicine bottles l
frequently opened fresh from DR.. Ste
ven's wrappings, and it was difficult to
imagine that poison could get into pud.
dings and iellies brought straight from
the kitchen to the bedside. could only
conclude that at night must occur Mrs.
Morrell's opportunity--if at all. -,
l felt like a conspirator as contrived
to secrete small portions of everything
of which Edith partook. l secured the
last drops remaining of the cooling drink
which Mrs. Morrell had had TO admins.
ter to the invalid during the night: also
q portion of the farinaceous pudding
which Miss Thorndyke bad had for her
dinner, part of her sleeping draught,
a wine-glassful of the mixture she was
taking every two hours and some OF the
beef tea which Dr.. Stevens had ordered
for her. If poison were really being
administered, it must be present in one
or another of these. chiefly suspected
the remains of the cooling drink. l was
young and unsophisticated, and nay ex-
perience as novel reader made me
believe it quite possible that Mrs. Nor
rell should carry small packets of arsenic
around in her pocket to mix in Edith's
medicines and food, as occasion should
serve. l can only smile at my credulity
now.
1t was q difficult matter to meet DIR.
Archer in the fir plantation unobserved.
Mr.. Morrell had first to be evaded, and
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